Means for moving elongated objects transversely of the line of travel thereof



Jan. 27, 1959 F. DILLINGHAM 2,370,899

MEANS FOR MOVING ELONGATED OBJECTS TRANSVERSELY OF THE LINE OF TRAVEL THEREOF Filed March 5 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 a\ i 1 I i i I NVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 27, 1959 F. L. DILLINGHAM 2,870,899

MEANS FOR MOVING ELONGATED OBJECTS TRANSVERSELY I OF THE LINE OF TRAVEL THEREOF Filed March 5, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR A1. O/LA/A/GH/IM,

I W ATTORNEYS Jan. 27, 1959 F. DILLINGHAM 2,870,899

- .MEANS FOR MOVING ELONGATED OBJECTS TRANSVERSELY OF THE LINE OF TRAVEL THEREOF Filed March 5, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR EL 0/4 L/A/G/l/VM,

ATTORNEY- MEANS FOR MOVING ELONGATED. OBJECTS TRANSVERSELY orrnn LINE or TRAVEL THEREOF r Frederick Laurence Dillingham, Sylacauga, Ala., assignor to Soderhamn Machine Manufacturing Co., Talladcga, Ala., a corporation of Alabama Application March 5, 1954, Serial No. 414,323 Claims. (Cl. 198-25) broadly to the art of com simple and inexpensive. means to sort logs or other cylindrical objects by selectively ejecting them from a conveyor to one side or to the other, or to permit them to pass over the conveyor to another station.

A further object is to provide in combination with a roller or other type conveyor at least one or more of longitudinally spaced plate like ejector kicker element or elements selectively operable to move a cylindrical article or log transversely. to either side of its initial line of travel. p i

i A more particular object provides fluid operated link and lever means interconnecting at least two kicker elements for simultaneous operation. i

A further object of the present invention provides a mechanism for turning the plate elements through an angle up to 90 from the horizontal whereby the plane of each plate is vertical including a gear carried by the shaft suppoi ting each plate element and means operable to simultaneously turn the gears and not the plate in synchronism.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent from the description below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a part of a conveyor on which is mounted an exemplification of the invention.

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken along lines 33 of Figure 2 showing the device of the invention being used to eject a log to one side of the conveyor,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modified arrangement for turning the plate elements, and

Figure 4a is a fragmentary view diagrammatically illustrating the arrangement of Figure 4 in different adjusted positions.

In handling elongated cylindrical objects such as logs, it is conventional to use a conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers over which the log passes endwise. This conveyor can be associated with a debarking machine, a log haul to a saw or other kindred apparatus used in the timber industry. Such a conveyor of conventional design is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 where frame 20 including horizontals 20' and legs 20" supports a plurality of roller's 30. Rollers 30 are formed of two frusto conical portions with their small ends at the center so that the rollers form a trough in which the log is held against lateral movement. Rollers 30 may be chain driven, as shown, or may be idler rollers.

i In logging operations, it is often desirable l9 QFt logs Ufl w States P w 2,870,899 Patented J an. 27,

for size or for quality, in which case it is and has been the practice to stop the log on the conveyor adjacent the station to which that particular log is to be removed from the conveyor, and a man with a peavy or cant hook rolls the log off the conveyoror a conventional log kicker is used which removes a log to only one side of the conveyor.

By use of the present invention, the log may be ejected at the proper station without requiring the use of a peavy, and one man can, from a selected control point, eject each log at the proper station selectively to either side of the conveyor in accordance with its size, quality, etc. as it passes, along the conveyor with the conveyor stopped or in motion. Thus this invention can be associated in line with a debarker either before or after the same or at bothpoints in order to control the size and quality of logs being handled by the debarker.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2, there are provided between spaced pairs of conveyor rollers 30, two plates 1, supported :on'shafts 7 by crosspieces 1. The shafts 7 are journalled in pillow blocks or bearings 6 carried by the horizontals 20'. Plates 1, as shown, are of parallelogram shape with two edges parallel-to the side edges or horizontals 20' of the conveyor. The shaft divides the plate 1 into two equal trapezoidal portions.

Secured to one end of each of theshafts 7 are levers 2 which depend at right angles to the plates 1. These levers 2 are respectively pivotally secured at their ends to a link 3. One end of link 3 is right angled in shape and a piston rod 4 is pivotally connected to thefree end thereof while the intermediatepart of the shaped end is connected to the levers. l

A double acting pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 5 .is clevis mounted on a base 5". The cylinder operating thrui thepiston rod 4 thus actuates the levers 2, 2 which in turn rock the plates 1 about pivots 7. While a fluid motor is shown, the invention comprehends any reciprocable prime mover such as a reversible electric screw jack type motor. i Plates l, as seen in Figure 2 normally lie in a horizontal plane just below the trough of the rollers 30 so they do not impede the progress of logs passing over the conveyor. If, however, a log is selected to be ejected to the right hand side, that is in the direction of arrow B, Figure 1, assuming the log is being conveyed from the left end of the conveyor in Figures 1 and 2, and therefor, in Figure 3, is traveling toward the observer, the operator turns a valve, not shown, that introduces a fluid under pressure thru pipe 8 to the upper end of cylinder 5. This pulls and pushes the respective lower ends of the levers 2, in Figure 2, to the right so that the plate tips toward the left in Figures 1 and 2 and away from the observer to assume the position of Figure 3. The platelgcorner 10 swings upwardly until it is above evel of the largest diameter of the conveyor Platecorner 11 then is substantiallyhigher than the top of the conveyor rollers so that, as seen in Figure 3, the log L will roll oti to the selected side B of "the conveyor and also clear the bearings and/ or guards mounted on horizontal 20.

It is immediately apparent that when it is desired to ejecta log to the other side A of the conveyor it is only necessary to actuate the device in the opposite the device may be called a log kicker. Immediately after the selected log has cleared the side of the conveyor the kicker plates are returned to their horizontal position so as not to impede the flow of further logs over the conveyor. It is to be pointed out that the device is usually utilized while the conveyor is in operation.

The kicker plate 1 may be made trapezoidal if it is desired to limit the action of the kicker to ejecting logs to one side only of the conveyor and, obviously two or more sets of kickers, either single or double, may be placed in series in a sorting yard or backing mill.

Where unusually heavy logs or pipe are being handled, three or more kicker plates may be linked together and more than one fluid or other motor may be used in order to distribute the load.

While the drawings show plate 1 having the edges that extend transversely of the line of travel of an object each at an angle to the plane containing the axis of shafts 7 it is to be understood that these edges do not have to be parallel and can be curved so long as the corner at 10 will be high enough when the plate is pivoted to ensure that an object will clear the rollers and side frames.

The description has referred to the use of the device of the invention in connection with logs. It is clear, however, that it may equally well be used in connection with pipe, rolls of tar paper, linoleum or any other articles that are generally cylindrical.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified arrangement in which each shaft 7 has carried thereon and externally of the side frame members a gear 40. Meshing with each gear is a sector gear 41 that is pivotally supported at 42 to a suitable supporting means embodied with the frame. A link 43 is pivotally connected to each sector gear at a point adjacent the circumference thereof and which when the sector is vertical is in alignment with the axis of shaft 7 and pivot 42. To rock the sector an arm 44 is connected thereto or formed therewith to extend laterally thereof and a piston rod 45 is pivotally connected to this arm. The piston rod is reciprocal in a double acting fluid motor that is pivotally supported on a suitable base plate. It thus follows that the up and down movement of piston 45 will rock the sector gears simultaneously in either direction. Since the sector gears circumference is in excess of one half the circumference of gear 40, rocking movement of the sector gear will turn the plates 1 from the full line horizontal position to the vertical position shown in dotted lines to effect log removal depending on the direction of movement ofthe gear 7.

It is believed obvious that the arrangement shown Where the fluid motor 46 is mounted vertically can be varied by mounting the same horizontally 'andfgconnecting the'piston 45 to either of the pivot points connecting the link 43 to the sector gears.

It is to be pointed out that it is conventional practice to associate inclines with log houls to guide the logs off of conveyor rollers when they are pulled off by cant hooks when a conveyor is stopped or when they are kicked off by conventional log kickers. These inclines usually consist of a plurality of rails mounted on a frame to one side of the conveyor frame and which rails extend from the ground up to a point adjacent the upper most point of the periphery of the side edges of the conveyor rollers, the rails being notched out where required to clear pillow blocks, gears and the like. Such an incline support is shown at 50 in Figure 3.

It is further to be pointed out that a plurality of plate elements can be mounted in pairs along an extended log haul or conveyor to provide plural sorting stations.

4 The controls for the several fluid motors can be coordinated with a control panel where the operator can preselect which pair of plates is to be actuated to kick particular logs to one side or the other of the line of travel. Suitable valve control mechanism that is commercially available is coordinated with the fluid lines of the several fluid motors to automatically restore the plates to a normal horizontal position.

While conventional manually operated four-way valves can be associated with each motor for each pair of kicker plates, the invention further contemplates a pivotally mounted blade or abutment bar that is mounted in line with the longitudinal axis of the conveyor in advance of the leading plate as regards the direction of movement and which blade is adapted to be elevated to a vertical position to be engaged by the front of a moving log whereby the movement of the conveyor moves the log to depress the blade and the depressing or downward pivoting movement of this blade actuates a valve embodied in the fluid control circuit to effect movement of the plates.

In the simplest form of the invention where plural pairs of kicker plates are mounted in a conveyor, each fluid motor is separately controlled from a master station and conventional valve means are selectively operated to move the piston in one direction or the other from this control station with the operator selecting whichever pair of plates are to be moved. The operator has to observe the travel of the logs and gauge the actuation of the plates in accordance with the speed of travel of the logs and the length thereof so that the plates are actuated when the log overlies both of the same.

A very important advantage of the rockable plate means of the invention consists in the fact that no direct side thrusts act on the conveyor frame which is the case in conventional log kickers that impart an abrupt transverse movement to the log by' movement of bars in rotation transversely of the frame.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for selectively manipulating elongated substantially cylindrical articles to either side of a line of travel in which the articles are moved longitudinally of their axes including at least two ejector planar plates normally positioned in and below the line of travel, each plate having opposite edges extending across the line of travel at an angle to a plane perpendicular to the line of travel, means supported exteriorly of the frame members and out of the line of article travel for selectively and simultaneously rocking the plates to move said edge upwardly into engagement with the article to deflect the same transversely of the line of travel said last-mentioned means including at least one lever arm means connected to one of said plates, link means connected to said lever arm means at one end and at the other end connected to the other plate for transmitting movement of the lever arm means to said other plate and a pivotally mounted double acting fluid motor having a piston directly pivotally connected to said lever arm means below the point of connection of the said one end of the link means therewith, whereby actuation of the motor in either direction directly rocks one plate and through the link means rocks the other with minimum waste of fluid from the motor regardless of which direction of movement the plates are. rocked.

2. Means for selectively manipulating elongated substantially cylindrical objects to either side of a line of travel in which the objects are moved longitudinally of their axes including transversely spaced frame members, longitudinally spaced roller means extending between the frame members for feeding objects along the line of travel, at least two flat ejector elements extending between the frame members, means mounting the elementsin a normal position below the base line of travel of the objects and including pivot means, lever arm means depending from pivot means exteriorly of one of the frame members, link means connected between the lever arm means and extending parallel to the line for transmitting movement between the lever arm means tothe other element, a single pivotally mounted double-acting motor pivotally connected to the pivot means to turn the same and thus the elements in selective opposite directions and said element including at least one edge disposable at an incline to the horizontal when the elements are turned and said edges being shaped to lie above the base line of travel of an object whereby the object is deflected only by said edges so that it is moved transversely of its line of travel, said lever arm means being disposed laterally of but a'djacent one of said frame members and said fluid motor means being supported to one side of the line of article travel and intermediate said lever arm means.

3. Means for selectively manipulating elongated substantially cylindrical articles to either side of a line of travel as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for selectively and simultaneously rocking the plates includes a shaft supporting each plate, a gear on each shaft, a sector gear in mesh with each of said first mentioned gears, link means interconnecting the sector gears for simultaneous movement in either direction, and said lever arm means being embodied with one sector gear.

4. Mechanism for moving logs transversely of a line of travel thereof comprising transversely spaced longitudinally extending frame means, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending shafts journalled on the frame means, troughed roller means on each said shaft, means for turning the shafts and thus the rollers to feed logs longitudinally of the line of travel, at least two additional shafts extending transversely of the frame means, journalled thereon and disposed between spaced pairs of rollers, planar ejector plates carried by the lastmentioned shafts and lying at a level below the line of log travel, said plates having opposite leading and trailing edges extending parallel to each other and extending at an angle to. the line of travel, lever arm means depending from the plate carrying shafts exteriorly of one of the frame means, link means pivotally connected between the lever arm means, and means for transmitting turning movement to one of the plate carrying shafts including a single pivotally mounted double acting fluid motor supported to one side of the line of log travel disposed intermediate two adjacent lever arm means and including a piston means directly pivotally connected to one of said lever arm means at a point below the connection of the link means with said lever arm means whereby selected opposite turning movement imparted to one of the plate carrying shafts is transmitted to the other to raise one or the other of the leading or trailing edges of the plates so as to lift up and bias a log transversely to one or the other side of the frame means with a minimum loss of fluid from said motor regardless of the direction of movement of the piston.

5. Mechanism for moving logs transversely of a line of travel as claimed in claim 4 and further including rigid log receiving members extending transversely to the line of travel, connected to said one of the frame means and overlying the depending lever arm and link means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 843,519 Crane Feb. 5, 1907 921,165 Ross May 11, 1909 1,749,989 Soelch Mar. 11, 1930 2,349,638 Schreiber May 23, 1944 2,582,570 Terwilleger Jan. 15, 1952 

